LG poll: OYSIEC accepts Wike-backed PDP candidates

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has accepted the list of chairmanship and councillor candidates submitted by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

The development came months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) adopted the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee (NWC) as the authentic leadership of the PDP for the ongoing preparations for the 2027 general elections.

OYSIEC, constituted by the Oyo State Government, received the PDP’s list of candidates through a letter dated July 30, 2026, submitted by the state chapter of the party.

A copy of the letter was made available to The Guardian in Ibadan by the Oyo State Chairman of the PDP, Prof. Rahman Akinoso, on Tuesday.

In the letter addressed to the Chairman of OYSIEC and signed by Akinoso, the party formally notified the commission of its intention to participate in the December 29, 2026 local government elections and submitted the list of its nominated candidates.

The letter read in part: “Find attached the list of our candidates for the forthcoming Oyo State Local Government election. The primaries to elect the candidates were peacefully conducted in line with the rules and regulations guiding the exercise.”

The acceptance of the list is being interpreted by party stakeholders as OYSIEC’s alignment with the position already taken by INEC in the protracted leadership crisis within the PDP.

It also represents a departure from the position of the rival faction loyal to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and led by Tanimu Turaki.

A PDP chieftain, who spoke on the development, said the electoral commission would have found it difficult to adopt a different position from INEC on the party’s national leadership.

“With INEC already recognising the Abdulrahman-led NWC in the 2027 process, it would have been untenable for OYSIEC to act differently in a state election,” the source said.

With the receipt of the candidates’ list, the Wike-backed faction of the PDP is expected to participate in the council elections across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State.